into Latin. The phyfic and philofophy of the Arabians fpread themfelves in Europe, and with these their architecture; many churches were built after the Saracenic mode, and others, with a mixture of heavy and light proportions; the alteration that the difference of climate might require, was little if at all confidered. In the most fouthern parts of Europe, and in Africa, the windows, (before the ufe of glafs) made with narrow apertures, and placed very high in the walls of the buildings, occafioned a fhade and darkncis withinfide, and were well contrived to guard against the fierceft rays of the fun, yet were ill fuited to thofe latitudes where that glorious luminary fheds its feebler influences, and is but rarely feen through a watery cloud. The heavy Gothic by Sir C. Wren, is diftinguished as Anglo-Saxonic, the lighter as Sarcenic; of this laft the following account may be added to what has juft now been delivered on the fame fubject. The holy war gave the Chriftians, who had been there, an idea of the Saracens' works, which were afterwards imitated by

near the building they made a camp of hills. A furveyor governed in chief, and every tenth man was called a warden, and overlooked each nine. The gentlemen of the neighbourhood, either out of charity or commutation of penance, gave the materials and carriage, and hence were called accepted Mafons. It is admirable with what economy and how foon they erect. ed fuch confiderable ftructures. But as all modes, when once the old rational ways are defpifed, turn at laft into unbounded fancies, the tracery of thefe architects who affected towers and fteeples, though the Saracens affected cupo. las, introduced too much mincing of the tone into open battlements, fpindling pinnacles, and little carvings without proportion of dif tance, fo that the effential rules of good perfpective and duration were forgot,

An account of the cruel facrifices of the Canaanites, Phenicians, and other nations. From Obfervations and Inquiries relating to various parts of ancient Hiftory; by Jacob Bryant.

upon it every day, as they proceeded in building churches. The Italians (among which were yet fome Greek refugees) and with them the French, Germans, and Flemings, joined into a fraternity, procuring papal bulls for their encouragement and particular privi. leges. They ftyled themfelves Free-Mafons, and ranged from nation to nation, as they found churches to be built, (for very many in thofe days were every where in building) through the piety of multitudes. Their government was regular, and where they fixed,

poffible, that so unnatural a cuftom, as that of human facrifices, should have exifted in the world: but it is very certain, that it did not only exift, but almoft univerfaily prevail. I have before taken notice, that the Egyptians of old brought no victims to their temples, nor fhed any blood at their altars: But human victims and the blood of men must be here excepted; which at one period they moft certainly offered to their gods. The Cretans had the fame cuftom; and adhered to it a much longer time. The nations of Arabia

did the fame. The people of Dumah in particular facrificed every year a child and buried it under neath an altar, which they made ufe of instead of an idol: For they did not admit of images. The Perfians buried people alive. Ameftris, the wife of Xerxes, entombed twelve perfons quick under ground for the good of her foul. It would be endlefs to enumerate every city, or every province, where thefe fad practices obtained. The Cyprians, the Rhodians, the Phoceans, the Ionians, thofe of Chios, Lefbos, Tenedos, all had human facrifies. The natives of the Tauric Cherfonefus offered up to Diana every ftranger whom chance threw upon their coaft. Hence arofe that juft expoftulation in Euripides, upon the inconfiftency of the proceeding; wherein much good reafoning is implied. Iphigenia wonders, as the goddefs delighted in the blood of men, that every villain and murderer fhould be privileged to efcape; nay, be driven from the threshold of the temple; Whereas, if an honeft and virtuous man chanced to ftray thither, he only was feized upon, and put to death. The Pelafgi in a time of fcarcity vowed the tenth of all that should be born to them, for a facrifice, in order to procure plenty. Ariftomenes the Meffenian flew three hundred noble Lacedemonians, among whom was Theopompus the king of Sparta, at the altar of Jupiter at Ithome. With out doubt the Lacedemonians did not fail to make ample returns: For they were a fevere and revengeful people, and offered the like victims to Mars. Their feftival of the Diamaftigofis is well known; when the Spartan boys

were whipped in the fight of their parents with fuch feverity before the altar of Diana Orthia, that they often expired under the torture. Phylarchus affirms, as he is quoted by Porphyry, that of old every Grecian ftate made it a rule, before they marched towards an enemy, to folicit a bleffing on their undertakings by human victims.

The Romans were accustomed to the like facrifices. They both devoted themfelves to the infernal gods, and conftrained others to fubmit to the fame horrid doom. Hence we read in Titus Livius,` that in the confulate of Æmilius Paulus and Terentius Varro, two Gauls, a man and a woman, and two in like manner of Greece, were buried alive at Rome in the Oxmarket; where was a place under ground, walled round to receive them; which had before been made ufe of for fuch cruel purposes. He fays, it was a facrifice not properly Roman; that is, not originally of Roman inftitution: Yet it was frequently practifed there, and that too by public authority. Plu tarch makes mention of a like inftance a few years before, in the conful-fhip of Flaminius and Furius. There is reafon to think, that all the principal captives, who graced the triumphs of the Romans, were at the clofe of that cruel pageantry put to death at the altar of Jupiter Capitolinus. Caius Marius offered up his own daughter for a victim to the Dii Averrunci, to procure fuccefs in a battle against the Cimbri; as we are informed by Dorotheus, quoted by Clemens. It is likewife attested by Plutarch, who fays that her name was Calpurnia. Marius was a man of a

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four

four and bloody dif ofition; and had probably heard of fuch facrifices being offered in the enemies' camp, among whom they were very common or he might have beheld them exhibited at a distance: and therefore murdered what was nearest, and should have been dear eft, to him; to counteract their fearful fpells, and outdo them in their wicked machinary. Cicero making mention of this cuftom being common in Gaul, adds, that it prevailed among that people, even at the time when he was fpeaking from whence we may be led to infer, that it was then difcontinued among the Romans. And we are told by Pliny, that it had then, and not very long, been difcouraged. For there was a law enacted, when Lentulus and Craffus were confuls, fo late as the 657th year of Rome, that there fhould be no more human facrifices: for till that time thofe horrid rites had been celebrated in broad day without any mafk or control: which, had we not the best evidence for the fact, would appear fcarce credible. And however difcontinued they may have been for a time, we find, that they were again renewed; though they became not fo public, nor fo general. For not very long after this, it is reported of Auguftus Cæfar, when Perufia furrendered in the time of the fecond Triumvirate, that befides multitudes executed in a military manner, he offered up upon the Ides of March three hundred chofen perfons, both of the Equeftrian and Senatorian order, at an altar dedicated to the manes of his uncle Julius. Even at Rome itfeif this cuftom was revived: And Porphyry affures us, that in this time a man

was every year facrificed at the fhrine of Jupiter Latiaris. Heliogabalus offered the like victims to the Syrian deity, which he introduced among the Romans. The fame is faid of Aurelian.

The Gauls and the Germans were fo devoted to this shocking cuftom, that no bufinefs of any moment was tranfacted among them, without being prefaced with the blood of men. They were offered up to various gods; but particularly to Hefus, Taranis, and Thautates. Thefe deities are mentioned by Lucan, where he enumerates the various nations who followed the fortunes of Cafar.

Et quibus immitis placatur fanguine

diro. Thautates; horrenfque feros altaribus Hefus;

Et Taranis Scythica non mitior ara Dianæ.

The altars of thefe gods were far removed from the common refort of men: being generally fituated in the depth of woods; that the gloom might add to the horror of the operation, and give a reverence to the place and proceeding. The perfons devoted were led thither by the Druids, who prefided at the folemnity, and performed the cruel offices of the facrifice. Tacitus takes notice of the cruelty of the Hermunduri, in a war with the Catti, wherein they had greatly the advantage: At the clofe of which they made one general facrifice of all that was taken in battle. Victor deverfam aciem Marti ac Mercurio facraverat : que voto, equi, viri, cuncta vi&ta occidioni dantar. The poor remains of the

legions

legions under Varus fuffered in fome degree the fame fate. Lucis propinquis barbara, are, apud quas Tribunos ac primorum ordinum centeriones macaverant. There were many places diftined for this purpofe all over Gaul and Germany: but efpecially in the mighty woods of Arduenna, and the great Hercinian foreft; a wild, that extended above thirty days journey in length. The places fet apart for this folemnity were held in the utmoft reverence; and only approached at particular feafons. Lucan mentions a grove of this fort near Maffilia, which even the Roman foldiers were afraid to violate, though commanded by Cæfar. It was one of thofe fet apart for the facrifices of the country.

Lucus erat longo nunquam violatus

ab ævo.

Obfcurum cingens connexis aëra

Religione truces et robora numinis inflar

Barbarici, noftra feriant impune Secures.

But

The practices prevailed among all the people of the north, of whatever denomination. The Maffagetæ, the Scythians, the Getes, the Sarmatians, and the various nations upon the Baltic, particularly the Suevi and Scandinavians, held it as a fixed principle, that their happinefs and fecurity could not be obtained, but at the expence of the lives of others. Their chief gods were Thor, and Woden; whom, they thought, they could never fufficiently glut with blood. They had many very celebrated places of worship; efpecially in the island Rugen, near the mouth of the Oder; and in Zeeland: fome too very famous among the Semnones, and Naharvalli. the most reverenced of all, and the moft frequented, was at Upfal: where there was every year a grand celebrity, which continued for nine days. During this term they facrificed animals of all forts: but the most acceptable victims, and the muft numerous, were men Ipfas victimas apud plerofque commendabut humana, fanguis, effufus ante Deorum aras, et diro carmine devotus: introducta immani illâ, ac barbara Scytharum confuetudine, qui Deos immortales hominum fcelere et fanguine placari poffe arbitrabantur. Of thefe facrifices none were esteemed fo aufpicious, and falutary, as a facrifice of the prince of the country. When the lot fell

for the king to die, it was received with univerfal acclamations, and every expreffion of joy; as it once happened in the time of a famine,

when

when they caft lots, and it fell to king Domalder to be the people's victim; and he was accordingly put to death. Olaus Tretelger, another prince was burnt alive to Woden. They did not fpare their own child. ren. Harald the son of Gunild, the firft of that name, flew two of his children to obtain a form of wind. "He did not let," fays Verftegan, "to facrifice two of his fons unto "his idols, to the end he might "obtain of them fuch a tempeft at "fea, as fhould break and dif"perfe the shipping of Harald king "of Denmark." Saxo Grammaticus mentions a like fact. He calls the king Haquin; and fpeaks of the perfons put to death, as two very hopeful young princes: Duos præftantiffime indolis filios, hoftiarum more, aris admotos, potiunda victo riæ caufa, neferia litatione mactavit. Another king flew nine fons, in order to prolong his own life; in hopes, I fuppofe, that, what they were abridged of, would in great measure be added to himfelf. Such inftances however occur not often; but the common victims were without end. Adam Bremenfis, fpeaking of the awful grove at Upfal, where thefe horrid rites were celebrated, fays, that there was not a fingle tree, but what was reverenced, as if it were gifted with fome portion of divinity; And all this because they were ftained with gore, and foul with human putrefaction. Lucas tam facre eft gentilibus, ut fingula arbores ejus ex morte vel tabo immolatorum divine videantur. The fame is obferved by Scheiffer in his account of this place. Deorum facre ille lucus erat: in arboribus fingulis Dii ipfi habitare credebantur: ergo ad tarum ramos corpora illa, veluti

munera que dam Diis gratiffima, fufpendebant.

The manner in which the vic. tims were flaughtered, was diverfe in different places. Some of the Gaulish nations chined them with a ftroke of an ax. The Celta placed the man, who was to be offered for a facrifice, upon a block, or an altar, with his breaft upwards; and with a sword ftruck him forci. bly acrofe the fernum; then tumbling him to the ground, from his agonies and convulfions, as well as from the effufion of blood, they formed a judgment of future events. The Cimbri ripped open the bowels; and from them they pretended to divine. In Norway they beat men's brains out with an ox-yoke. The fame operation was performed in Iceland, by dafhing them against an altar of ftone. In many places they tranfixed them with arrows. After they were dead, they fufpended them upon the trees, and left them to putrify. One of the writers, above quoted, mentions, that in his time, feventy carcafes of this fort were found in a wood of the Suevi. Dithmar of Merfburgh, an author of nearly the fame age, fpeaks of a place called Ledur in Zeeland, where there were every year ninety and nine perfons facrificed to the god Swantowite. During those bloody fefti vals a general joy prevailed; and banquets were moft royally ferved. They fed; they caroused; and gave a loofe to indulgence, which at other times was not permitted. Dum facrificia hæc peragebantur, varii adhibiti funt ritus, et litatimis modi: convivia celebrata magnifica: pars fanguinis poftibus illita: pars adftantibus propinata. They imagined, that there was fomething

my.